Zero Irregularity
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: Tatsuya Shiba was already an Irregular when he first set foot in First High School. The newest student is the very definition of the word "Irregularity". Just who is he? Where did he come from? And what sort of adventures awaits him and his friends? One thing's for sure, they're not pulling rabbits out of hats...they're preparing for war.


**Alright, time to finally put this baby into the glory it deserves! Shoutouts go to Otaku-Nation666 for helping me out with this, and so goddamn early too! Seriously, that guy...! I totally recommend him to you all! He's done a lot of good stories, his best being Fate/Rebellion! I also recommend his crossover story "Law of the Jungle," if you fancy a Lelouch with animalistic tendencies running wild and ripping apart Britannians with his bare hands~  
**

 **Anyway, ladies and gents! Welcome...to Zero Irregularity!**

* * *

 _Magic._

 _This product of fairy-tales was systematized as actual technology at the dawn of the 21_ _st_ _Century. Due to the drastic climate cooling that began around the year 2030, the food supply dwindled. Energy sources were frequently fought over, and in 2045, World War III broke out, lasting for 20 years._

 _The population plummeted to 3 billion. The fact that this conflict didn't escalate to a thermonuclear war was entirely due to the global solidarity of the world's magic technicians._

 _And now it's the end of the 21_ _st_ _century._

 _Under these tenuous circumstances, every nation is competing in the race to develop magicians._

 _The year is 2095, and now, the world stands at it's very height in developing both magicians and magic technology. In recent years, mystical artifacts, known as Relics, were discovered, being among the mysterious OOParts. Many types of magic have been unveiled to the world, and progress is steadily advancing into the world._

 _However, two boys, both with magic unseen, will shake the very foundation of the world. One is a boy who had cast aside his humanity to protect the one thing he loves... and the other is a boy without a past to recall._

 _This... is their story._

* * *

ZERO IRREGULARITY

 _ **Episode I: Mysterious Transfer, Part I**_

First High School.

One of the nine institutions run by the government, it is a high-class facility that allows students, regardless of background and ethnicity, to partake in courses that allow them to reveal their magic prowess, hone it, nurture it, and allow it to flourish. However, it is no ordinary school, even by magic standards. Here, students are categorized as either Course-1 Student, or "Blooms", and Course 2 Student, or "Weeds". Unfortunately, the latter are those who have met the written exams, but have failed to meet the expectations set within the practical exam, and are thus looked down upon by the Course 1 Students.

Unofficially, the terms Blooms and Weeds are not meant to be used, as stated by the Student Council, but no one heeds their words, despite the influence they have in this institution. That being said, there are influential figures in the Student Council, who are also apart of the Ten Master Clans, families with great influence over the world of magic.

The Student Council President is Mayumi Saegusa, a senior who's magic is well regarded, even amongst the Ten Master Clans. During her time as President, she has made the school's rules enforced to a certain degree, and has tried the best she could to lower the accusation slanders placed upon the Course 2 Students for being merely 'reserves'. She is to step down next year.

Besides her, there is Katsuo Jyumonji, the Chairman of the Extracurricular Activities Federation, and also a member of the Ten Master Clans, bearing the number "ten" in their last name. With iron-clad steel wits and an overbearing and imposing figure, he evaluates an individual not by their status or apparent skills in magic, but rather by their standards, personality, and overall attitude. Like Saegusa, he is among the few students who are not discriminate towards Course 2 Students.

Currently, First High was in the process of getting ready for the student reception assembly, along with the entrance ceremony, which was going to take place in about a week from now. Already, teachers and Student Council faculty members were preparing for the reception, setting up classrooms and already figuring out last-minute adjustments to the courses. Most of them were set up in the school building while a few were doing rounds outside, looking for any trespassers, which was more often than not than one thinks, or helping out by running errands.

Strangely, despite that fact, no one noticed the light that danced inside the school's maintenance building. It could easily be seen from the cracks in the door, a red light that danced softly, almost like an illuminating glow. Within the building, however, it was anything but. It was wild and erratic, sparking all over the place, yet nothing was harmed. Not even the robotic figure stationed at the entrance was affected, and it was still active, yet it failed to notice the strange red orb that floated in the center of the room.

Papers and anything light were thrown into the air, caused by the raging wings surrounding the orb before just as suddenly as it had appeared had it dispersed, the wind calming itself.

The same could not be said for the boy who fell from the remains of the light, smacking to the ground with a thud. The noise, and sudden appearance, caused the robotic figure, which was designed to appear as a girl in a standard maid uniform, to open her eyes, her head turning to the boy.

She found no records of anyone entering, but neither had she any records of anyone entering the room prior to her activation, due to the stand-by system that was installed into her datastructure. Recognizing the individual as an intruder, she stood up, and walked over to the boy. She stopped just at his hands, his body sprawled out on the ground, lying on his stomach.

"You are unauthorized to be here," the mechanical girl told him, her voice possessing a strange, echoing tint to it. "Please leave, or I will be authorized to use force. I repeat, you are unauthorized to be here. Please leave, or I will be authorized to use force."

Her words caused the boy to stir awake, evident by the sounds of groans and the twitching of fingers. Beneath the mess of hair, eyes were twitching before they fluttered open, revealing purple gems of mysterious luster. He sluggishly pushed himself up off his hands, and into his feet. However, he appeared to be groggy, his stance unbalanced before he fell on his rear end.

"Urgh..." the boy groaned in pain, rubbing his sore rear before he blinked rapidly, looking around the room, unfamiliar with it before looking forward, and into the face of the mechanical doll that was stationed by the door.

Once again, she spoke, "You are unauthorized to be here. Please leave."

The boy blinked. Once, twice, then thrice. He had taken a look at her appearance, staring at her up and down before he finally spoke, his voice smooth like brass, yet confused and slightly anxious. "...beg pardon, but..." he said slowly, unable to understand, nor speak out, about her obviously inhuman appearance. "Where am I?"

The mechanical girl tilted her head, recognizing the boy's words. "You are in the school's maintenance building." She replied thusly. "You do not have authorized access to this area. I request that you leave, otherwise I will be permitted to use force."

"A-alright," the boy nodded, managing to somehow get back on his feet, albeit wobbly. "Thank you." The mechanical doll smiled at him, nodding at his wise decision before gesturing to the door.

She had failed to realize the confusion that had overwhelmed the boy's thoughts.

' _Where the hell am I?'_

* * *

Mari Watanabe had to admit, despite being a few days behind schedule due to some issues regarding the system, everything was proceeding smoothly. The day was peaceful, just the sort of thing she preferred. She didn't have to deal with any suspicious characters found on campus, due to her status as being a member of the Student Council Disciplinary Committee, and while she was not good with things that normally involved her dealing with the usual pompous punks, she was able to handle herself pretty well.

Still, ever since she first got here, slightly late, she was unable to shake the feeling in the air, that strange sensation that seemed to prick at your senses. It was unnerving, but she ignored it for the most part. Of course, one couldn't be too careful, and thanks to her status, she was allowed to carry a CAD (Casting Assistance Device).

"Seems like Mayumi can handle the technical stuff." Mari commented to herself, surveying the school grounds. "And no one's trying anything funny this year..." She nodded, crossing her arms. "Good."

In all honesty, it was a pain to deal with suspicious characters. Some were just curious folk who wanted to see what they were doing, and others were international spies, who, by the way, failed miserably at their jobs. Who in the world would use cat burglar techniques these days, especially since the place their breaking into is a government-run institution of magic? Perhaps thieves and spies were just outdated in these times?

At any rate, she supposed she could leave the rest up to the other guys. Mayumi had asked her to come by and help her out with Disciplinary Committee matters. However, just as she was about to turn and make her way to the main building, her eyes caught movement off to the side. She paused, turning to the left.

A young male was walking around the school grounds. His attire alone was proof that he was not a student here. Black hair, purple eyes, a handsome face, probably around 17 or 18 years of age, a pink polo shirt with a black tie underneath a black-trimmed white jacket, and formal black slacks.

Mari frowned. What was a civilian doing here? Moreover, how did he get in? Sabukase was in charge of the main gate, so no one should have gotten past him... unless they decided to take the back way in. She was about to approach the boy and demand what he was doing here, and ask him to leave when she realized something.

' _That direction he came from...'_ She narrowed her eyes, hand reaching for the CAD on her wrist. _'That's the school's maintenance building!'_

It wasn't merely a simple maintenance building; it was also home to the Robotics club, who were in charge of running everything regarding school machinery, thus highly regarded and vital to the school, especially since most of the engineers at this school knew everything there was to know about how the machines functioned. However, the problem was that the machines were also directly hooked up to the school mainframe, thus, with the right tools, someone could use them to bypass the security firewalls and get the information they wanted directly from the main source.

"You there, halt!" Mari shouted, pulling up her sleeve. Her words obviously spooked the young man as he jumped, whirling around to see her. Fear and anxiety were present. "What are you doing here?!"

* * *

Even before he found himself being chased by a woman he didn't know, the boy was already having a bad day.

The first thing he wondered when he woke up was how in the world he wound up here in the first place. His memory was a total blank. He couldn't remember anything what happened prior to waking up in that room, nor why he was actually there in the first place. He was confused and shocked to see what could only be called a mechanical maiden standing in front of him, telling him to vacate the premises, but he knew he shouldn't be here. In fact, strangely, he was wondering why he was even alive in the first place. A curious thing to wonder, yet also pointless in the long run. He needed to learn where he was, and why he was here. Judging from the buildings and open space, he was willing to bet that this was an academic environment, a school perhaps. But, if that were the case... how could he have wound up here?

He had little time to ponder, unfortunately.

"You there, halt!"

He nearly jumped at the sound of a woman shouting sharply, and turned around to see a woman in a long white dress with a short green jacket, a strange veil flowing from it. Her hair was cut short, and her amber eyes were narrowed straight at him like arrows, recognizing him as a potential threat. He noticed the strange bracer on her wrist. When he looked at it, the word 'CAD' popped into his head. He didn't know why he seemed to know this, but he was sure of, however, was she was obviously not his friend.

"What are you doing here?!"

 _'I'd like to know that myself,'_ he wanted to say, but he remained silent. He processed the situation. Going by her attire and demeanor, he was going out on a limb to say that she was most likely a guard, or maybe a student, given that the building was clearly a school, and going by what that...mechanical girl said. What would happen to him? What should he say? Would she even believe him? Most likely not. He was a stranger here, one that wound up here by unknown means. Her suspicion was justified... but he still wanted to know why he was here. Perhaps she could tell him? No, that wouldn't be logical. After all, she did demand his presence, meaning she knew nothing of how he arrived here either.

Weighing his options carefully, the teen slowly took a step back, shifting his gaze to any possible escape route.

Unfortunately, his action was recognized as a sign of resistance. The woman raised her hand at him, the one with the strange bracer, while her other hand tapped the small keyboard on it rapidly with a fluid grace. What happened next was enough to leave him stunned and amazed. Her dress and veil danced and flapped as a strange wind began to dance around her, a strange hymn echoing into the air while strange numbers and letters, if they could even be called as such, swirled around her, forming into a ring around her hand.

 _'Oscillation-Type,'_ the boy thought almost immediately, as if recognizing it just by looking at the strange alphabet. _'Throws target back.'_

Information flowed into his mind, like a door had opened and allowed the intruder to enter. He brought up his hand, instincts flaring up in defense from the attack. His body burned, but not in the way one would think. It was like his bones were being heated, his insides warmed up, and his skin tingling. For a moment, his eyes shifted, changing from beautiful violet to a glittering red, a strange sigil forming around the pupil. It was a bird locked in mid flight, wings curled.

 _'Initiate Phalanx!'_

A giant blast of energy, mixed in color with air swirling around it like a wild torrent, was released from her hand. In response to it, a transparent wall was erected in front of him, standing in between them, unfaltering. It slammed up against it, but the wall did not crack or budge. Instantly, he felt his body cool down, and the wall vanished, like it was never there to begin with. He blinked in confusion, staring at his hand. "What... did I just...?"

The information was still there, information that, strangely, he recognized, but did not recall. Magic, spells, ideas, variables, solutions, pieces, fragments... information was laid out before him.

"That was... magic...?" he whispered, unable to believe what he just accomplished. If the stunned look on the woman was any indication, he obviously was not the only one to be shocked.

"I-Impossible..."

* * *

The moment the boy brought out that barrier, one she knew very well, she saw the boy not as an intruder, but as an irregularity. After the wall was brought into existence, she stopped, any idea of creating another spell halted. She just stared at him, unable to understand what was happening, or able to believe what had just happened.

"I-impossible..." Mari breathed. "He used magic... without an activation sequence?"

All magic, regardless of whether or not it was performed with the use of a CAD, or through traditional methods, used an activation sequence. It would always appear, surrounding the user with power and it's presence. Though Ancient Magic, which could be used without a CAD, had some semblance of an activation sequence. It was not easily seen, but it was there. And yet...

...that boy performed a spell without an activation sequence, and without a CAD present anywhere on his body. Even more shocking still, he used Phalanx! That was a technique used by the Jyumonji Clan, known to be nearly impenetrable. It was the ultimate shield, in a sense... and he had just constructed it.

All of those facts made Mari just want to ask the question, _"Who are you?"_

The boy looked confused at what he just did, but that confusion was replaced quickly. Mari was about to question him and ask him what school he belonged to, but the boy was quick to move. He turned sharply on his heel, and his body seemed to 'burst' away, moving at speeds only capable of magic. "Dammit!" she cursed, her hand moving to the clip on the collar of her jacket. "Attention, all Disciplinary Members! We've got an intruder! He's confirmed to be a magic-user! Apprehend him at all costs!"

* * *

The moment the head of the Disciplinary Committee issued that order, the entire school was thrown into chaos. All students on board the committee, all armed with a CAD, being either a bracer, or digital pad, or even a handgun, were alert, running around the halls and communicating with one another, keeping an eye out for the target. As they moved about, two people walked about the halls casually, as if there wasn't anything happening. One was a giant, burly man with a stone face, eyes calm and overbearing with a figure to match, his uniform barely able to contain his masculine figure, while the other was an elegant woman with flowing black hair and beautiful orange-red eyes.

Strangely, despite the current situation, she was smiling. "Ara, it appears we've gotten ourselves a stalker, haven't we?" she asked playfully. "He must be very skilled if he's managed to make it to school grounds and avoid Mari-chan."

The burly man nodded in agreement. "So it would seem..." he said, his voice deep and strong, perfect for one of the Jyumonji Clan. "Saegusa, what do you make of this?"

Mayumi pondered that for a while, a finger at her cheek with an inquisitive expression. "Hm, all logic points to breaking and entering." she said. "But, if that were the case, he wouldn't have revealed using magic. That obviously makes him an accomplice from another rival nation, or perhaps a spy from another school."

"Yes, but there is more to it than that." Katsuo replied back, his tone calm and level. "Given the amount of security, and the fact that we were not informed earlier... I would say he must have found a way to sneak past the security without being seen."

"And therein lies the million dollar question," the Student Council President said, her eyes dancing with interest. "How do you get past such heavy security, which is standing guard all around the campus, especially when all of them are the best security detail First High School was given at the behest of the Association?"

During preparations to open the school to all those who are capable of using magic, and those who are able to fight when needed, the Magic Association calls up individuals who guard the school with the utmost attention. Background checks and tests are performed to see that they are capable for the job, and they make sure they do not disappoint. For someone to sneak past such talented personal meant one of two things: either they were not as competent as they seemed...

...or the mysterious intruder had appeared _inside_ the campus grounds.

 **"Mayumi, you there?"** Mari's voice sparked through the clip on Mayumi's jacket's collar. **"We've got a problem. It's about that intruder."**

"Did you catch him already?"

 **"No, we're still looking for him, but that's why I'm not calling."** Mayumi frowned. From the tone alone, it was clear that whatever Mari wanted to tell her was very important. **"It's about the target... Mayumi, he was able to cast magic without a CAD, or an activation sequence!"**

That caused both highly respected figures to stop dead in their tracks, eyes wide in disbelief. "W-what?" Mayumi choked on her breath. Had she heard that right? Their intruder could use magic without a CAD or have an activation sequence present? How was that possible? "H-how?"

 **"I don't know, and that's not all."** Mari continued. **"He was able to use the Jyumonji Clan's famous technique, Phalanx!"**

Mayumi gasped, her eyes widened while Katsuo's face hardened, his eyes set into a narrowed stare. "You are certain of this?" he asked. "Absolutely sure, Mari?"

 **"There was no mistaking it."** she confirmed. **"It was definitely the Phalanx."**

"Hm..."

Mayumi looked at her friend. "Jyumonji-san?"

The man opened his eyes, walking past the woman. "It would appear..." he said as he turned down the corridor. "I would need to speak with our uninvited guest personally."

* * *

"There he is!"

"Arrest him!"

"Don't let him get away!"

 _'Okay, let's recap the situation,'_ the ebony-haired man thought as he ran through the halls, trying to evade his captors. _'I'm in some kind of facility that is apparently a school, the people here can apparently use magic, and I am currently being chased down simply because I'm an unknown. Just wonderful!'_ He really wanted to talk this out, but somehow, he doubted that they would listen to him. The only thing he could do was run, as much as his body didn't want to. He was still unused to the use of this...magic...and his body wasn't quite adapted to it. Beneath his feet were strange geometric symbols that made his feet bounce off the floor. He was already growing exhausted, but he didn't have the luxury of stopping. He heard the sounds of shouting behind him, and cursed.

 _'Faster...need to go faster!'_

And faster he went. His legs swung even higher, and his steps became farther apart, moving at speeds that he thought would have been impossible. He rounded the corner, his feet slamming off the wall and back unto the ground, nearly slipping on himself before catching his fall and continuing his run, avoiding the apparent students. However, fate proved to be against him as three students blocked his path at the end of the hallway. One had a bracer, and the other two had handguns.

"You're under arrest!" the one with the bracer shouted, his fingers dashing across the keyboard while the other two took aim. Once again, that strange alphabet danced around them, moving around his wrist while the other two had them running around the barrel. Information and recognition flashed by, causing him to scowl.

 _'Two oscillation-types, and one Singularity-type.'_ he went over the information. _'One halts movement. One throws target back. One sends the target caught in a trap flying.'_

That was annoying. Still, he had to give them credit... they were good, for being able to go with such a strategy in so short a time. Even so, he couldn't afford to be caught. Due to the narrow corridor, his movement was limited, but he could manage. The first spell launched was the same one that woman used before, while the other two had set their traps, set equally apart in space, one on the floor, and the other at the wall. The other end was a window that was open, and no doubt there were students waiting below.

Which left one option.

When the blast came close, he slid his body downward, the legs and knees gliding across the floor while his body bent back, the blast flying straight over his face and passing through before dispersing, having missed it's intended target. He quickly threw his legs forward and leaped, his body leaping off the ground, and into the ceiling before he bounced off of it again, this time landing back on the ground, ahead of the trap. The three student's eyes widened at their failure, while the boy glared at them before barreling towards them. Once again, the phenomenon around his eyes occurred, turning them into a glittering red with a bird sigil around the pupil.

 _'Initiate Phalanx!'_

Another transparent wall was erected before him, except slightly larger. Unlike the previous one... it was not meant to repel attacks.

The wall smashed straight into the students, their bodies crashing up against the wall, leaving them stuck there before the wall vanished, allowing their unconscious forms to fall. The boy sighed, wiping the sweat off of his face before he moved back into action, running down the hall at magic-enhanced speed, bouncing off the walls when he got to close to them at the turning point of a hallway and bouncing back to the ground. When he reached a staircase, he leaped all the way down, another spell in his mind being called up from the archives of his brain and slowing the fall until he reached the floor safely without any risk of injury. He was finally back on the first floor, after several tries and evading students. He rushed down the hall, wanting to reach the exit. No doubt that many would be stationed there, but if he could use that shield to spearhead his way through, freedom was all but assurred... unless they called in the authorities. Then that would officially make him a fugitive, which meant he would have to run and run... but where to? How could run to a safe place if he didn't even know where he could find it?

What an annoying conundrum.

He turned the corner, and dashed into the main entrance hall, only for his feet to skid to a halt, and his annoyance grew.

Standing between him and the door was a giant of a man, his height imposing, a face seemingly made of stone by the furrowed brow, and narrowed eyes that locked onto him. He held his arms crossed over his chest, gazing out at the boy with impassiveness. Neither of them made a move, and in honesty, the boy should have take a different route, had he known he would run into someone like this. If the sounds of rushing footsteps were any indication, he knew he had to find a way around this man... and fast.

"...I've never seen you in the clan before," the man spoke, his tone iron-clad and assertive, every inch that matched his intimidating figure. "And yet... you are able to use the Phalanx."

The boy didn't know what he was referring to, but he could probably guess what he was talking about. He instantly knew the Phalanx and it's entirety, a spell that can act both defensively and offensively, depending on the situation. Battering ram, shield, weight, it had multiple uses. Going by his words...perhaps the Phalanx spell was established by his family?

And that meant he could use the Phalanx as well.

 _'The only exit I can see is right in front of me, and naturally, there's someone guarding it,'_ the young man sighed. This time, aloud. He could retreat, but going by the man's glare...retreat was hardly an option. He would not let him. He was making it clear that he was his pray. His escape route was inches in sight, and at any moment, more students would appear to capture him. He gave yet another sigh, realizing he had only one option.

Charge straight forward.

He was only a meter away when Phalanx met Phalanx.

* * *

 _'Mari was not joking when she said he was able to use magic without the use of a CAD,'_ Katsuo thought. _'Nor without an activation sequence...'_

The moment the boy casted Phalanx, he had immediately earned his respect. He showed himself to be analytical, observing the surroundings for any alternate route of escape, and even took the other members of the Disciplinary Committee into account as well. No doubt, they would arrive shortly, and subdue him. However, while he proved to be somewhat inexperienced with his magic, he knew how to improvise. If given training and proper use, he could easily match any self-respecting member of the Jyumonji Clan, like himself. Katsuo, within a short time frame, activated his CAD, the bracer on his wrist, and brought forth his clan's signature spell. As a result, the wall of defensive transperency collided with it's twin, creating a shockwave that caused his jacket to flap, and the boy's own attire to be threatened of being blown away. The collision of two powers of the same make cancelled each other out, following the natural laws, and thus the two were sent back. Katsuo's feet skidded only a few inches, whereas the boy came to a halt a few feet away.

"Not bad," he praised the boy. "However... You will need to do much better than that."

It was after that that the Disciplinary Committee arrived, members gathered in the halls. The moment they saw the boy, they brought out their CAD's, ready to capture the suspect when Mari stepped in, a hand outstetched. "Don't." she said, looking at them. "Jyumonji-san wishes to handle this personally."

Katsuo had requested that he would take care of the boy, should he come across him. Mari didn't object to it, and gave him free reigns. As a result, now that they were locked in battle, no one could do anything. It would simply be one-on-one. Even still, despite that, the boy looked nervous. Katsuo easily recognized it, having seen it a few times from three years ago, back during the events in Okinawa.

Confusion.

Anxiety.

Paranoia.

This boy... he had no idea where he was, and to him, everyone around him was a potential threat. If he were to guess, the boy must have somehow ended up at First High by accident, however improbable it seemed, and a member of the Disciplinary, out of suspicion and perhaps jumping the gun, saw him as a spy or intruder, and tried to apprehend him, only for the boy to try and escape.

He would need to talk to the boy and set things straight, when provided the chance.

Once again, the boy charged. Once again, he forged the Phalanx, only this one was weaker, and smaller. Katsuo frowned, wondering what he was planning, but called up his own Phalanx once again. Naturally, when the two clashes, the stronger barrier overtook the weaker one, causing it to shatter. Unexpectedly, however, another geometric rune danced under his feet, which he then proceeded to place on the Phalanx, and launch himself upward. His feet touched the ceiling. _'So that's his plan,'_ Katsuo realized. _'He's using an acceleration spell to boost himself upwards, and then use the momentum from bouncing off the ceiling to escape. Clever,'_ His eyes narrowed. _'But!'_

As the ebony-haired teen bounced off the ceiling, yet another Phalanx danced in his way.

Then the unexpected happened.

The teen's eyes once again developed that strange phenomen; where the iris would become glittering red and a bird became wrapped around the pupil. He outstretched his hand.

As soon as his fingers touched the omnicolored shield, the Phalanx shattered apart, like glass.

 _'What?!'_

That lone thought was shared by everyone who had watched it happen. None of them could comprehend it whatsoever...he had destroyed what had been considered as the unmovable object of magic. It should have been impossible, for such a feat had never been accomplished. Until now, it seemed. The teen remained suspended in the air due to him destroying the Phalanx after he collided with it, though he was already behind Katsuo. All it would take was an acceleration spell, and he would be home free.

Sadly, that wouldn't be the case, as he had completely forgotten that there were others, all of which were now behind him. One of them had taken the opportunity to activate their CAD, and cast a spell. By the time the teen looked behind him, it was too late. The spell was already cast.

And it struck him, dead on, right in the chest.

His body was sent flying, letting out a cry as he spilled out of the building, and tumbled out into the front. He soon rolled to a stop.

He didn't get back up.

Everyone was silent, watching while Katsuo, Mari, and Mayumi, who arrived in time to see the climax, ran over to the boy in worry. Mari reached him first, turning him over and looking for injuries. Mayumi reached him next, already searching for the wounds Mari might overlook, while Katsuo looked onward at the sight. _'He's quite young,'_ Katsuo noted idly. _'And talented as well... First the ability to cast magic without the use of an activation sequence, then the ability to use Phalanx... and now this.'_

"Jyumonji-senpai." Hattori, a member of the Student Council, called out to him as he walked up next to the man. He was young like any student, his hair a light brown, and his eyes a dark almond color. He was also the student who had casted the spell earlier. "That spell he just used... Was that...?"

"No doubt about it." he nodded in confirmation before his face hardened. "After what happened... There's no way we can keep this away from the Ten Master Clans."

* * *

Elsewhere, at a large, luxurious mansion somewhere in Japan, a man clad in an outfit fit for a butler entered a small, comforting room. He was well-aged, a beard gracing his worn out face, his gray hair slicked back, and round glasses sitting atop his nose. "Yotsuba-sama," he greeted the sole occupant of the room. She was beautiful in every sense of the word, her long, flowing black hair going past her shoulders, and coming to an end near her hips. Her eyes were a mysterious, entrancing shade of violet-red, and her lips curved gently in the most beautiful shade of pink. "We've received news of an intruder at First High."

The woman, Maya Yotsuba, smiled softly as she turned to the man. He wordlessly stepped forward, and handed her a photograph. "This young man had apparently infiltrated the academy, only to be caught by Katsuo Jyumonji-sama. Though a brief and redacted report was handed to the authorities, the official reports stated that the young man in question was able to cast magic without the use of a CAD, and no activation sequence was present during the times the spells were casted. Even more so, he was able to use the Jyumonji Clan's famed technique, the Phalanx."

Maya looked at the photo, observing the boy. Raven black hair and beautiful purple eyes, surpassing even the gems of the same color, and a handsome face. The moment she saw it, a fond smile spread across her lips. "Anything else?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

The man nodded. "Yes. Though he is currently resting at the State General Hospital, he does not have any wounds. He is still unconscious, but when he was brought in, he was recorded to have a broken arm, a fractured femur, and two broken ribs."

"Yet said wounds are now gone." Maya giggled. "And no magic could heal such wounds in so short a time. That could leave only one."

"Indeed... and that is what troubles me," the man expressed concern. "The only person who possesses any magic of that level is Tatsuya-sama."

Maya continued to look at the picture, staring at the unknown boy's face before she turned to the butler. "Thank you. You may go now."

"By your leave, Yotsuba-sama."

With that, the man left. Once she was certain he was out of earshot, Maya Yostuba ran a finger across the photo. "How interesting," she commented. She had heard of this boy before, from the strange visitor she had received not long after her sister had passed on from this world. She didn't believe her at first, not until she bore witness to what the woman showed her. And now, that same individual she spoke of, the one that was talked about so highly, was here. "I wonder, was this her doing?"

She has not seen that woman in many years now. She had disappeared like the ghost she was, disappearing as suddenly as she had appeared to her. The memory was still fresh in her mind. That vibrant green hair and golden eyes. Truly, she was a mystery...yet now a new mystery was brought to her. If what that woman told her was true...then what would the future hold? Would his fate coincide with that of her darling nephew? Or would it alter it somehow?

"Either way," the woman smiled. "It appears that things have gotten so interesting now."

* * *

Elsewhere, in a rich manor far from where anyone could find her, there was a woman hanging outside of a window, her arms draped over the edge with her head resting on one of her arms, almost lazily, while her hair, a strange lime-green color, long and bearing a healthy sheen, flowed down, a strand curled around her lips and another gently framed around her cheek. Her eyes were golden, butter yellow, soft yet beneath laid a strange, amusement and mischief with a dull boredom underneath it's rich color. She was out of place in this grandees place, as her outfit was... bizarre, to say the least. It was a white suit with a high collar, resembling some sort of straight jacket with largely exaggerated sleeves with black belts around it and the collar, which were also present along the top of the collar.

As she started out at the view, a large blue ocean that stretched out as far as the eye could see, she felt something...a feeling that seemed to resonate.

A smile formed on her face.

"...took you long enough, my warlock," she said with both amusement and happiness as she twirled her fingers on the wood she rested upon. "So then...what will you do now? This is a new slate for you, after all. Will you change this world, like you did before? Or will just watch it burn?"

The woman then laughed.

"Either way...welcome back, _Lelouch_."


End file.
